With the ongoing digital transformation impacting the business environment in Australia, the network infrastructure plays a crucial role in supporting new technologies and work methodologies. However, many small to medium businesses and mid-market enterprises in Australia may not reach their maximum capabilities as their traditional networks struggle to keep up.
Additionally, outdated networks could expose Australian organizations to heightened cybersecurity risks, leading to significant financial losses, damage to reputation, and negative reactions from customers as sensitive information is leaked onto the ‘Dark Web’.
During an iTnews webinar, experts from networking vendor Cisco Meraki and IT integrator NTT DATA discussed how Australian business leaders can adapt to the increasing demands on their networks.
As per the audience feedback, cybersecurity emerged as their top priority, followed by simplified network management, with 83% and 72% of respondents, respectively, basing their responses on a previous survey conducted by Meraki on the same topic.
Highlighting the connection between cybersecurity and simplicity, Cisco Meraki product specialist Senan Nakajima emphasized that organizations expect their networks to be adaptable without compromising security.
“Operational simplicity is equally crucial for fostering innovation and driving business growth,” Nakajima stated, emphasizing that businesses need to be agile and flexible even when opening or closing offices.
As organizations integrate devices like surveillance cameras and sensors into their networks, they might unknowingly create vulnerabilities in their defensive strategies which need to be constantly monitored and managed, as mentioned by NTT DATA’s director of technology transformation, Lyncoln de Mello.
“The network’s role in access control is pivotal,” de Mello added.
“With the rise of the Internet of Things and Wi-Fi-connected sensors sharing the infrastructure with the corporate network, there is a need to ensure the security of these devices so that they do not become avenues for malicious activities.”
Enhancing Network Visibility – The Cisco Meraki dashboard provides comprehensive insight on a unified interface
The increasingly diverse network of smart devices, often on the network’s periphery, raises concerns about their management and monitoring. Each vendor offering its own management console results in higher resource utilization to correlate activities and address emerging threats.
“If you can’t see it, you can’t manage it; if you can’t see it, you can’t fix it,” explained Cisco Meraki’s technical solutions architect, Fred Chua, during a live presentation of the vendor’s unified interface solution.
“With everything managed through a single dashboard, ensuring consistency and simplicity, this approach contributes to the overall Meraki experience,” he added.
Chua demonstrated the management of a complex IT network using a global map showing every user and device, illustrating how easily potential issues could be investigated and resolved. The dashboard displayed device licensing status and other relevant information without needing to switch to different applications, controllers, or command line queries.
“For IT teams with limited resources, unable to outsource network management to a service provider, and lacking the time or expertise for profound network issues and troubleshooting,” de Mello concurred.
“Thus, the platform handles the foundational tasks of translating the IT intent into actionable directives for the devices.”
EXCLUSIVE DEAL: Are you searching for a cloud-managed network solution to enhance your business performance and cybersecurity resilience? You might qualify for a complimentary Meraki access point with a one-year license. Sign up and view the on-demand webinar here.
Looking for more? Explore the capabilities of the Cisco Meraki network management dashboard starting around the 40-minute mark here.
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